HRT 243: Organic Transplant Production

Course Code: HRT 243

Credits and Offerings

  • 1 credit
  • Spring semester of every year

Course Objectives

Students will be able to:

  1. Describe and use the principles of seed selection, storage, treatment and germination to produce transplants.
  2. Know how to collect vegetative cuttings, prepare them for “sticking”, and provide conditions for rapid formation of adventitious roots and production of young plants.
  3. Evaluate and select appropriate growing containers and prepare root media suitable for organic certification and correctly water and add fertilizer during transplant production.
  4. Plan, evaluate and implement options for germination and transplant chambers, cold frames and greenhouses for producing organic transplants.
  5. Describe how temperature and light impact seedling growth and how to achieve the desired type of transplant growth in a lighted chamber or a greenhouse.
  6. Maintain plant health, protect plants from insects and pathogens using methods suitable for organic certification, and properly harden transplants prior to establishment.
  7. Complete the seeds and plant material section of an Organic Systems Plan required for certification of a diversified organic farm.
  8. Develop and implement a transplant production action plan using available production scheduling information for vegetable and flower transplants.

Activities

  • Field trip to MSU Student Organic farm or an organic farm
  • Development of transplant action plan for growing transplants
  • Weekly Reading Reflections
  • Six on-line quizzes

Department Information

Students

Research Focus Areas

Our Gardens

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